National Republican., 1887-07-07

We call attention again to this contem-
plated double track central route to the
west and southwest, and submit an i'm
proved map illustration Of the present in
direct railroads from the east to the west
and southwest, as compared with this con
tetnplated central route. 1t will be seen
on examination that from Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore this cen
tral double track route is much the shortest
line. Let us see: From New York to Pbila-
delphia ~ miles; to Baltimore, 9G miles; to
Washington, 40 miles; Hot and Warm
Springs Valley, 1G5 miles; Charleston, W..
Va, 40 miles; then by Huntington, Ash
land, and Maysville TO Cincinnati, 200
miles, making 702 miles; while by the
Philadelphia, 81 miles; Harrisburg, lO5
miles; Pittsburg, 249 miles, and Gin
cinnati, 3l3 miles, making 75S miles,
being, even from Portland, Boston, New
York, and Philadelphia, 80 miles farther
than this double track route, while
from Washington this central route Is 2l5
miles shorter than the Pennsylvania Har-
rsburg line, aud lis miles shorter than the
Louisville, st. Louis, and western bound
through passengers from Portland, Boston,
and the great Atlantic sea board cities, the
Washington and Hot and Warm Springs
Valley route is 10 miles less than by
any present through line from the east.
The two through passenger trains each way
from Washington to the west over the
Pennsylvania Harrisburg line, travel In one
day $50 miles farther than they will travel
al in
miles, and in ten years they travel dis.
tance of 3,l39,0O miles greater than the
same number of trains will have to travel
over this central double track route.
For passengers TO west and southwest
Virginia, Tennessee, Alauama, Mississippi,
louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and the great
and growing southwest, this will be and
ever remain the direct route Let us see.
The present route to Knoxville, Nashville,
and the southwest, is by single track roads,
and from Washington to Lynchburg 1t Is
Ia miles, Lynchburg to Bristol 2Oi miles,
and Bristol to Knoxville l3l miles, making
800 miles, while by this contemplated cen
tral double track route IL Will be from
Washington to Hot and Warm Springs
Valley l65 miles, to Knoxville PSI miles,
and in all I52 miles, being iifty-seven miles
less, with much more pleasant and pic
turesque scenery than by the present single
track route, The through passenger and
freight traffic will naturally seek the direct
double track routes betwe important dis
tant terminal points, and local traffic will
mOnopolize the zig-zag crooked single
track roads When the travelling public
are accommodated with direct double track
through railroad service, single track
through routes will be avoided as danger.
Gus modes of travel.
To show that the country through which
the route passes is thickly settled and in a
thriving condition we will state that di-
reCtly on and near that portion OF the line
between Washington and the Ohio river
there are 3S4 places or towns, cities, vii.
lages, mills, factories, furnaces, foundries,
iron mills, marble and granite quarries, and
numerous noted springs and summer re-
sorts
1t will be observed that there are two
noted and much frequented caves directly
on the line-irst, the famous Luray Caverns
near Luray Court House, Va, and about
fourteen miles beyond, In Rockingham
county, Va, are the no less famous Iirkle
cayerns, and all travellers state that these
Caverns in the mountains, with their lofty
chambers, halls, dOmes, and stairways
bristling with stulaCtte pendants and chan
uelier formations are as magnificent as the
Kentucky Mammoth Cave, 4 railroad from
Washington direct TO these CGverus alone
will pay good interest on the investment,
for these wonderful curOsties will soon be
the most freQuented places of resort near
the great cities OF the east.
We consider the building Of this great
central railway OF so much importance that
we reproduce in fun Gen. Bingham's able
paper on the subject.